Case-lettering press



Jan. 11 1927.

r 1,614,064 W. A. GUNNING ET AL CASE LETTERING PRESS Filed Nov. 1'7. 1922' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y g 1 [0 i I t l i l I I l l I F/GI F/EJI INVENTOR W. A. GUNNING MJISH/ELDS BY )4) mm ATTORNEYS Jan. 11, 19 w, A. GUNNING ET AL CASE LETTERING PRESS Filed Nov. 17. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- 34 Wilham (lfiunn'mg. 3g) mam 3. Shams, 3 1 9 W //-A PM Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

ll t l i D PATENT critics;

ASSEGNOBS T0 AIMERICAN OPTICAL COL'IPA'NY, OF SQ'UTHBRIDGE. MASSACHUSETTS,

A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION OI IVIASSACHUSETTS.

CASE-LETTERING PRESS Application filed November 17, 1322'.

This invention relates to iinproven'ients in lettering machines and has particular reference to a novel and improved term of machine especially adapted for use in lettering or marking cases. or containers for ophthaln'iic mountings.

One of the principal objects oi thepresent invention is the provision ot a novel and improved form of machine tor lettering spectacle and eyeglass cases or the like ii which the lettering material nr y ted or positioned in trout oi the lettering die and in which wastage oi the leaf or ma terial used in a lettering operation will be reduced to a minimun'i.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an improved construction of machine in which the position oi the case may be readily adjusted and controlled to cause the lettering die to contacttherewith to the best advantage.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved construction ct machine in which the supply of lettering material may be readily shitted out of the way tor insertion or removal of the case or readily brought into operative position as may be desired. 0

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device of this character in which th lettering material shall be ordinarily ted so that a new portion thereof will always be presented between the case and lettering die preventing damage to goods due to insufficient supply of the lettering material or lear or the necessity of more than one lettering operation.

Other objects and advantages ot our invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that we may make any modification in the specific details of construction shown and described within the scope or" appended claim without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Figure I represents a front elevation of a power press or lettering machine embodying our improvements.

Figure ll represents a side elevation thereof.

Figure 111 represents a fragmentary view Serial No. 601.495.

illustrating the removable lettering material.

Figure IV represents a plan view ot the material supply and parts disposed therebeneath.

Figure V is a tragn'ientary view of a portion of Figure I enlarged;

Figure VI is a section on line VIVI ot Figure V, and

Figure Vll is an enlargement oi Figure Ill.

In the drawings the number 1 designates the base ot our improved machine having rising therefrom the bracket portion 2 bearing the head 3. This head includes bearings l tor the shaft intermittently driven as by the pulley' (3 and control d by the operating parts 8. bears a crank or eccentric 9 serving to reciprocate the pitman 10 having its lower end engaging the slide 11 vertically movable in the guides 12, and bearing a heater 13 having a chuck portion i l to receive the lettering die 15 which is thus raised by the heater to the proper temperature to cause transfer or" gold or other leaf or like lettering material, as from the carrier strip 17. This carrier strip in the term or the invention particularly illustrated in Figures I and II, is supplied from the reel 18 at the lett of the machine carried as by the arm 19 and feeds across the idler 20 and second idler 21 to the feed reel 22 carried by the second arm 23. This teed reel is preterably provided with the toothed or ratchet rim 2-l helc against reverse or unwinding rotation as by the spring pressed pawl 25 on the arm one revolution clutch l toot lever and associate This shaft 5 l :4) v. turned either mechanically as by the handle 26 or automatically as by the rock arm 2? pivoted at 59 havingthe spring pressed pawl 28 for engaging the reel teeth 2% when moved in one direction. This rock arm 27 is preferably connected as by the link 29 pivoted at to the base 1 of the machine so that as the slide 11 moves downward and the die 15 is brought into operative engagement with the feed strip 1'? for the lettering material the pawl 28 rides idly up over the teeth 24 while as the slide is returned to its initial position the pawl will engage the teeth and partially rotate the reel causing anew section of the lettering material to be brought under the die. An adjustable connection as at permits of variance of the amountor movement imparted to the feed reel according to the width of the particular die being used so that no excess of material will be fed past the die by this automatic movement. This feed is operated by the upward and downward movement of the slide 11.

Opposed to the lettering; die 15 is the dome or other shaped support 31 t'or tl e case portion 32 to be le;terr l, this dome member being removably secured as by the set screw 38 on the transverse slide 3% which is supported on the main slide for in and out movement as controlled by the adjusting screw 36. It will thus be seen that the dome itself adjustable laterally d in and out to exactly position the portion oi the case lid or bottom on which t marking is to ap pear with respect to the die.

It will be understood th t while the same dome may be used for d reut cases that it is essential. that each individual or style ot case be correcth positioned beneath the lettering die and to facilitate this result we provide on the supplemental or transverse slide 3 the transversely shittable contact or stop member 37 having the guide pin 38 and moved in and out as by the adjusti screw 39 while in addition there is provided at one end of the slide 3% the su 'iplemental contact arm 40 having a guide pin ll riding in a suitable oassage or slot in the slide 3i and adjusted in and out as by the adj ustingscrew 42, the member 40 being adjusted for length and the member 37 for width or the particular case section which is being lettered or marked.

ln Figures Ill and IV we have shown a slight variation of the foregoing in that the reels or carriers for the lettering material in place of being supported by the slide 11 are shown as carried by the upright portion 2 of the main frame and as movable in and out beneath the lettering die, these parts being mounted on a slide having the supporting arms for the reels, the position of the slide being controlled as by the rock lever 46 having the arm 4-? engaged in the slot 48 ot' the slide 43, rocking of the lever bringing the material under the lettering die or shifting it back out of the Way. In this form the material is led by the handle 26, the said handle moving in and out with the reel carried by the bracket d5, mounted on the slide 4-3. 7

From the :loregoing description the construction of our machine should be readily understood and it will be seen that when is desired to mark or letter a spectacle or eyeglass case or the like it is merely neces sary to adjust the dome or rest 31 for the case section whether top or bottom which is to be lettered in correct relation to the letterinp; die the back and end steps 37 and 40 respectively being set to determine the position of the case on the rest and the electric heater energized so as to suitably heat the die. This having); been accon'iplished suitable movement is imparted to the slide 11 as through the eccentric on the sh t 5 when the die wil be brought down pre. ing the feed band 17 against the exposed portion of the case. This feed band bearing on its under side the gold lent or other material which is to be trans' crred to the case the die will be brought with SlllfiClGliil pressure a ainst the feed band and case to indent the material of the case and leave an imprint of the leaf thereon; the heating aiding in the moulding or shaping of the letters in the covering material of the case and causing the leaf to properly adhere, the leaf preferably being; treated with an adhesive on its exposed faceso that it will most securely engage the case covering material. It is to be understood that it is of course uni'iecessary to make the various adjustments just referred to if but a single case is to be lettered but these adjustments are partiew larly desired when the manufacturer or dea er Wishes to letter a large number of cases of the same size and style.

lVe claim:

A machine of the character described. comprising a frame, a wo k su port attached thereto, a die holder reciprcc; away from the work support, reel supports slidably mounted in the frame 2111?; adapted to normally position lettering); 11 erial between the die holder and worlc support, and means for manually sliding thr reel supports and letteringmaterial out the or travel of the die holder.

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